Emergency fuel tank



Dec. 25, 1951 nsomcrro 2,579,979

EMERGENCY FUEL TANK Filed Jan. 22, 1949 INVENTOR. a FRANK summo- BYWIM AGENT Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STATS EMERGENCY FUEL TANK Application January 22, 1949, Serial No. 72,155

want of fuel in such a position as to present a serious impediment totraffic. Similar inconveniences may result from a failure of the fuel pump, or from an obstructed fuel line due to contaminating matter which may have found its Way into the tank.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in an automotive vehicle of the type described, means for temporarily and immediately restoring the fuel supply in any of the above-indicated eventualities, thereby obviating the various inconveniences set forth.

Another object of my invention is to provide, in combination with anemergency fuel tank for automotive vehicles having a fuel pump, means for quickly and efilciently refilling the emergency tank from the maintank after the emergency necessitating a switching to the emergency tank has .passed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of automatically refilling an emergency fuel tank through the fuel pump of a vehicle of the character described.

.The invention will be fully understood from inadvertence or I the following descriptionof certain embodiments,

reference being had to the-accompanying drawing in which: a

Fig. l is a front elevation of an emergency fuel tank according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of a fuel supply system according to the invention, with, thetank shown in section along the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 shows certain valves offthe system of Fig. 2 in emergency operating position;

Fig. 4 shows the same valves in position for refilling the tank; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a somewhat modified system and tank;

and,

Fig. 6 shows a valve of the system of Fig. 5 in emergency operating as well as refilling position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown an emergency fuel tank Ill adapted to be secured to the body of an automobile or truck, indicated at H, in any convenient position above the level of the carburetor, for example inside the hood (not shown) of the vehicle, by means such as a metal strap 12 and screws [3. embodiment referred ta, is of square cross section and is provided with an inlet E i and an out-- The tank Ill, in the let [5, as well as a drain valve 16. The inlet I4 is provided with a suitable plug ll which is perforated and traversed by an indicator rod l8 secured to a float lit, for example a piece of cork.

The vehicle H is provided with a conventional fuel pump 26 connected to a fuel line 2| which leads to the normal or principal gasoline tank, not shown. Fuel pump 20 is normally connected to the carburetor 22 by way of a pipe 2 la, a first three-way valve 23, a pipe 2Ib, a second three- Way valve 24 and a pipe 2E0. The remaining outlet of valve 24 is connected to the outlet l5 of tank IE1, through the intermediary of a pipe 25, while the remaining outlet of valve 23 is connected to a flexible tube 28. Tube 26 is provided with a nipple 2? adapted to fit intothe tank inlet i4 and may, when not in use, be suspended by any suitable means such as a clip 28.

When the vehicle runs normally, the valves 23, 24 are in the position shown in Fig. 2 and thus gasoline may freely travel from the main tank through the fuel pump 20 to the carburetor 22. If, for some reason, the pump ceases to deliver, the valves 23 and 2 3 are rotated counter-clockwise throughan angle of until they occupy the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position fuel from the emergency tank Ill can flow by gravity to the carburetor by way of pipe 25,. valve 24 and pipe 2lc, the outlet from the fuel pump being shut off at valve 23.

After the emergency has passed, e. g. by refilling the main tank or repairing the fuel pump, it will be desirable to refill the emergency tank It for future use; Such refilling may, of course, be carried out by hand, through the inlet I4 after removal of the plug H and indicator I8, i9, and in such case it Will be advisable to re-setthe valves to their position shown in Fig. 2. The invention, however, provides a novel method of filling the tank l0 automatically'from the main gasoline tank with the aid of the pump 20.

It is clear that, in order to operate the pump 20, it will be necessary to supply fuel to the carburetor 22 so as to keep the motor running after the same has been started by means of the conventional starter or hand crank, inasmuch as the pump derives its power from the motor. In order to refill the tank It, I place the valves 23 and 24 in the position shown in Fig. 4 in which pipe 2 la communicates with tube 26 and pipe 25 is connected to pipe 2ic. Next the nipple 21 of the flexible tube 26 is introduced into the inlet l4 (after removal of plug H) as indicated in chaindotted lines in Fig. 2. Assuming that the tank It has not been emptied completely, fuel from this latter tank can be refilled quickly and without material expenditure of fuel.

Fig. shows a cylindrical'fueltank-110 secured to the body HI of the vehicle by meansof one or more straps I12 and screws H3. The tank H0 has an inlet H4, connected to a'pipe 126,

and an outlet to which a pipe 125 is attached. Inlet H4 is again provided with a suitable plug 1 1-1 traversed by an indicator rod H8. The fuel pump 1 is connected to the'main tank (not .shown) by way of a fuel line 121 and to the carburetor 122 by way of a pipe 121a, afour-way valve l24andapipe12lb. H 7 h In its normal position (Fig. 5) the valve 124 connects the .pipe 121 to pipe 12112 and the ;pipe l--to pipe 126, thelatter connection being without effect. In the position of Fig. 6, wherein the valve 1-24 has been rotated through an angle .of -90 from the vposition shown in Fig. 5, emer- :gency feed obtained-by the connection between pipes 125-and 12 1b while the connection between --pipes 126; and 121 1 will be withouteffectas long as pump 120 remains inoperative'for any of'the reasons enumerated above. After the defect has been remedied, the valve remains in its-position-but fuel from the pump-I20 can now flow into the tank H0 inorder to refill thesamein the manner previously described.

The arrangement of Figp5 may, of c0urse,-be designed in such manner that operationof the vehicle 'will be possible with the valve 124 permanently in the position of Fig. 6, yet in such caseit will be desirable to connect the indicator H8 withthe dashboard in order tosignal when the carburetor'begins to=draw on the fuel content-oftank 1 10.

+A shut-off valve 121 may be inserted in the line 1 26 forthe purposeof blocking the connection between valve 124- and inlet 1-14, for example when the use of the emergency tank H0 ='has been necessitated by the contamination of the main fuel tank,'inwhich case it will not'be desirable ito transferany of i-ts zcontents=to the emerigency tank.

vIt will be understood that the various :valves may be designedso as tobeaccessibleonly-upon opening of the hood but that, if desired, some orallof them may also be providedwith operat- ,ing means'for controlling their position-from the dashboard. This has been illustrated, by wayof example, "for the ivalve 121 :inthe'form of an operating rod l=28 havingia knob-I29 affixed thereto. I

It will further be-appreciated that 'thetank need not be of-either'of the two specific forms illustrated, andthat the invention not limited to the precise embodiments shown-and described, beingcn the contrary capableof numerous modifications and-adaptations 'without exceeding its scope'as defined in the objects =andin the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an automotive vehicle having a carburetor and a fuel pump, in combination, an

"emergency iueltank;provided with an inlet an'd withan-outlet located-above-thelevel of the carburetor, valve means including a valve comprising a casing, said casing having at least three openings, and a rotor inside said casing, said rotor being provided with a channel, a first conduit connecting said fuel pump directly to one of said '-"openings,:a second conduiteormectingfsaid outlet to anotherof said openings, and a third conduit connecting said carburetor to a third of said openings, said valve having a first position in which said channel connects said first conduit to'sai'dtliird conduit, said valve simultaneously disconnectin'g isaid'isecond conduit from each of the-other 0f said conduits, thereby establishing apath-vfor fuel between the fuel pump and the carburetor, saidwalve having a second position in which said channel connects said second conduit to said third conduit, said valve simultaneously disconnecting-v said :first :conduitfrom each ofthe other of said conduits, :thereby establishing --a math for duel between "the ,emergency fuel tank @and the o'arbureton a dourth conduit connecting said valve means directly to said emer'gencytank, and-means including said valve V *means, said inlet and said fourth con'duit for establishing a path -'for fuel delivered "by said pump and passing ethr'ough said "emergency fuel tank *to :sai'd carburetor said second position "of" said valvie.

zIn -an'-tautomotive vehicle having'ia carburetor and -a fuel pump, :in "combination, :an emerfgency ifuel tank r provid'ed 'with-ian inlet and with -an outletlooated aibove the level of athe -'carburetor, a valve :comprising la casing, said ceasing having four openings, and a 'rotor-f in-side "553111 casing, said rdtor haviing 2a. zfirst rand a :se'cond channel, a first bonduiit aconnecting said :fu'l pump *to one o'f said openings, -a second conduit :conne'cting 'said outlet to' a'no'ther?of* said*open ings, third -'oondiiit :donnectingsaid: carb'uretor to a third of said openings, fandsa fou'i th con- .duit c'o'nriecting -said l inlet to a fourth s'aid openings, said valve having 'a first f position in Wliich said 'firs't charm co1inedts*the fii st oo'n- "c'lu'it with the rd. con'duit, prbvidi'ng -a "pa'thifo'r' t e' -passage of ful between said pump ahd said "(':ai'-bii1tor,-said second cnanne1 simu1- taneously connecting the second and the four'th "conduit, tli'ereby disconneting said idel tank from "said pump andsaid carburetor, said valve lia ving a second positio'n' 'i'n whieh' 'one'of said channels connects the 'first "conduit with the fourth *co'ifduitj and' the "other con'nects' the thir eonduit with th duit, thus establishinga p'ath io'r fuel dli'vered by said pump and passing through 'said 'emer- ZREFERENGES omen "The "following "rfei'en'ces "are bfrecofd in the file of this patent:

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